Kathmandu, Napal

Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal and the region with the most advanced infrastructure in Nepal. As our introduction to the country, this “major city" shocked us with the lack of infrastructure, dirt roads, the amount of litter and piles of trash and the level of poverty. With Kathmandu having the third worst air pollution in the world, we were wearing masks by the end of the trip to walk the streets as do many of the locals.

That being said Kathmandu is a town to experience. The culture, architecture, customs and the people create a beautiful sensory overload. The earthquake in April 2015 really left its mark on the already fragile buildings and infrastructure of the city. Many of the old buildings and temples are rubble or piles of bricks. Houses are being held up by stilts and people in the city are still displaced in tent cities. The people of Kathmandu are nothing if not resilient and life still moves on in the chaos of the streets, but the locals always have a moment greet you with a joyful namaste and to join you for a cup of masala tea.